• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.639-648
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• 2015

SInce 2000, Instrumentation and Control(I&C) systems of Nuclear Power Plant(NPP) based on analog technology began to be applied to the digital technology. NPPs under construction in the country with domestic APR1400 I&C system, most devices were digitalized. Cyber security of NPP I&C systems has emerged as an important issue because digital devices compared to the existing analog equipment are vulnerable to cyber attacks. In this paper, We proposed the risk rating process of cyber security threats in NPP I&C system and applied the proposed process to the Reactor Protection System(RPS) developed through Korea Nuclear Instrumentation & Control System(KINCS) project for evaluating the risk of cyber security threats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.58-74
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• 2022

Deterministic accident analysis plays a central role in the nuclear power plant (NPP) safety evaluation and licensing process. Traditionally the conservative approach opted for the point kinetics model, expressing the reactor core parameters in the form of reactivity and power tables. However, with the current advances in computational power, high fidelity multi-physics simulations using real-time code coupling, can provide more detailed core behavior and hence more realistic plant's response. This is particularly relevant for transients where the core is undergoing reactivity anomalies and uneven power distributions with strong feedback mechanisms, such as reactivity initiated accidents (RIAs). This work addresses a RIA, specifically a control element assembly (CEA) withdrawal at power, using the multi-physics analysis tool RELAP5/MOD 3.4/3DKIN. The thermal-hydraulics (TH) code, RELAP5, is internally coupled with the nodal kinetics (NK) code, 3DKIN, and both codes exchange relevant data to model the nuclear power plant (NPP) response as the CEA is withdrawn from the core. The coupled model is more representative of the complex interactions between the thermal-hydraulics and neutronics; therefore the results obtained using a multi-physics simulation provide a larger safety margin and hence more operational flexibility compared to those of the point kinetics model reported in the safety analysis report for APR1400. The systems engineering approach is used to guide the development of the work ensuring a systematic and more efficient execution.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2696-2707
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of various structural modeling schemes for evaluating seismic performances and fragility of the reactor containment building (RCB) structure in the advanced power reactor 1400 (APR1400) nuclear power plant (NPP). Four structural modeling schemes, i.e. lumped-mass stick model (LMSM), solid-based finite element model (Solid FEM), multi-layer shell model (MLSM), and beam-truss model (BTM), are developed to simulate the seismic behaviors of the containment structure. A full three-dimensional finite element model (full 3D FEM) is additionally constructed to verify the previous numerical models. A set of input ground motions with response spectra matching to the US NRC 1.60 design spectrum is generated to perform linear and nonlinear time-history analyses. Floor response spectra (FRS) and floor displacements are obtained at the different elevations of the structure since they are critical outputs for evaluating the seismic vulnerability of RCB and secondary components. The results show that the difference in seismic responses between linear and nonlinear analyses gets larger as an earthquake intensity increases. It is observed that the linear analysis underestimates floor displacements while it overestimates floor accelerations. Moreover, a systematic assessment of the capability and efficiency of each structural model is presented thoroughly. MLSM can be an alternative approach to a full 3D FEM, which is complicated in modeling and extremely time-consuming in dynamic analyses. Specifically, BTM is recommended as the optimal model for evaluating the nonlinear seismic performance of NPP structures. Thereafter, linear and nonlinear BTM are employed in a series of time-history analyses to develop fragility curves of RCB for different damage states. It is shown that the linear analysis underestimates the probability of damage of RCB at a given earthquake intensity when compared to the nonlinear analysis. The nonlinear analysis approach is highly suggested for assessing the vulnerability of NPP structures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2016

The safety of nuclear power plants has received much attention; this safety largely depends on the continuous availability of electrical energy source during all modes of nuclear power plant operation. A station blackout (SBO) describes the loss of the off-site electric power, the failure of the emergency diesel generators, and the unavailability of the alternate AC (AAC) power. Consequently, all systems that are AC powered such as the safety injection, shutdown cooling, component cooling water, and essential service water systems are unavailable. The aim of this study is to investigate the deficiencies of the existing alternatives for coping with an extended SBO for APR1400 design. The method is analyzing the existing deficiencies and proposing an optimal solution for the NPP design during the extended SBO. This study, established a new passive system, called passive decay heat removal system (PDHRS), using systems engineering approach.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.101-114
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• 2016

A model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach to implementing hardware-based network cybersecurity controls for APR1400 non-safety data network is presented in this work. The proposed design was developed by implementing packet filtering and deep packet inspection functions to control the unauthorized traffic and malicious contents. Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack was considered as a potential cybersecurity issue that may threaten the data availability and integrity of DCS gateway servers. Logical design architecture was developed to simulate the behavior of functions flow. HDL-based physical architecture was modelled and simulated using Xilinx ISE software to verify the design functionality. For effective modelling process, enhanced function flow block diagrams (EFFBDs) and schematic design based on FPGA technology were together developed and simulated to verify the performance and functional requirements of network security controls. Both logical and physical design architectures verified that hardware-based cybersecurity controls are capable to maintain the data availability and integrity. Further works focus on implementing the schematic design to an FPGA platform to accomplish the design verification and validation processes.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.84-91
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• 2020

The APR1400 reactor stud holes can be stuck due to high temperatures, high pressure, prolonged engagement, and load changes according to pressure changes in the reactor. Threaded surfaces of a stud hole should be cleaned for the sealing of pressure in reactor vessel by removing any foreign materials which may exist in the stud holes. Human workers can access to the stud hole for the cleaning of stud holes manually, but the radiation exposure of human workers is increased. Robot is an effective way to work in hazardous area. So we introduced robot for the cleaning of stud holes. Localization of mobile robots is generally based on odometry, but with increased mileage, position errors can be accumulated. In order to eliminate cumulative error and to ensure stability of its driving, laser sensors and new control algorithm were utilized. The distance between the robot and the wall was measured by laser sensors, and the control algorithm was implemented so as to travel the desired trajectory by using the measured values from sensors. The performance of driving and hole sensing were verified through field application, and mobile robot was confirmed to be applicable to the APR 1400 NPP.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.3787-3800
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• 2023

Reactivity Initiated Accident (RIA) scenarios require special attention using advanced simulation techniques due to their complexity and importance for nuclear power plant (NPP) safety. While the conservative approach has traditionally been used for safety analysis, it may lead to unrealistic results which calls for the use of best estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) approach, especially with the current advances in computational power which makes the BEPU analysis feasible. In this work an Uncontrolled Control Element Assembly (CEA) Withdrawal at Full Power accident scenario is analyzed using the BEPU approach by loosely coupling the thermal hydraulics best-estimate system code (RELAP5/SCDAPSIM/MOD3.4) to the statistical analysis software (DAKOTA) using a Python interface. Results from the BEPU analysis indicate that a realistic treatment of the accident scenario yields a larger safety margin and is therefore encouraged for accident analysis as it may enable more economic and flexible operation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.4179-4188
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• 2021

This study identifies efficient earthquake intensity measures (IMs) for seismic performances and fragility evaluations of the reactor containment building (RCB) in the advanced power reactor 1400 (APR1400) nuclear power plant (NPP). The computational model of RCB is constructed using the beam-truss model (BTM) for nonlinear analyses. A total of 90 ground motion records and 20 different IMs are employed for numerical analyses. A series of nonlinear time-history analyses are performed to monitor maximum floor displacements and accelerations of RCB. Then, probabilistic seismic demand models of RCB are developed for each IM. Statistical parameters including coefficient of determination (R²), dispersion (i.e. standard deviation), practicality, and proficiency are calculated to recognize strongly correlated IMs with the seismic performance of the NPP structure. The numerical results show that the optimal IMs are spectral acceleration, spectral velocity, spectral displacement at the fundamental period, acceleration spectrum intensity, effective peak acceleration, peak ground acceleration, A95, and sustained maximum acceleration. Moreover, weakly related IMs to the seismic performance of RCB are peak ground displacement, root-mean-square of displacement, specific energy density, root-mean-square of velocity, peak ground velocity, Housner intensity, velocity spectrum intensity, and sustained maximum velocity. Finally, a set of fragility curves of RCB are developed for optimal IMs.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2019

A decontamination technology for radioactive liquid wastes was newly developed and hypothetically applied to the liquid waste management system (LWMS) of the nuclear power plant (NPP) to evaluate its decontamination efficacy for the purpose of the fundamental reduction of spent resins. The basic principle of the developed technology is to convert major radionuclide ions in the liquid wastes into inorganic crystal minerals via chemical or biological techniques. In a laboratory batch experiment, the biological method selectively removed more than 80% of cesium within 24 hours, and the chemical method removed more than 95% of cesium. Other major nuclides (Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mn, Eu), which are commonly present in nuclear radioactive liquid wastes, were effectively scavenged by more than 99%. We have designed a module including the new technology that could be hypothetically installed between the reverse osmosis (R/O) package and the organic ion-exchange resin in the LWMS of the APR1400 reactor. From a technical evaluation for the virtual installation, we found that more than 90% of major radionuclides in the radioactive liquid wastes were selectively removed, resulting in a large volume reduction of spent resins. This means that if the new technology is commercialized in the future, it could possibly provide drastic cost reduction and significant extension of the life of resins in the management of spent resins, consequently leading to delay the saturation time of the Wolsong repository.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.149-157
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the significant duration of ground motions on responses of base-isolated nuclear power plants (NPPs). Two sets of ground motion records with short duration (SD) and long duration (LD) motions, scaled to match the target response spectrum, are used to perform time-history analyses. The reactor containment building in the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) NPP is numerically modeled using lumped-mass stick elements in SAP2000. Seismic responses of the base-isolated NPP are monitored in forms of lateral displacements, shear forces, floor response spectra of the containment building, and hysteretic energy of the lead rubber bearing (LRB). Fragility curves for different limit states, which are defined based on the shear deformation of the base isolator, are developed. The numerical results reveal that the average seismic responses of base-isolated NPP under SD and LD motion sets were shown to be mostly identical. For PGA larger than 0.4g, the mean deformation of LRB for LD motions was bigger than that for SD ones due to a higher hysteretic energy of LRB produced in LD shakings. Under LD motions, median parameters of fragility functions for three limit states were reduced by 12% to 15% compared to that due to SD motions. This clearly indicates that it is important to select ground motions with both SD and LD proportionally in the seismic evaluation of NPP structures.